Book of Hours

Posted on September 5, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

In my ongoing deep-dive into obscure books, today we have the amazing 15th century Codex Rotundus.This medieval book of hour takes its contemporary name from its odd circular format. It was created in Flanders and is written in Latin as well as French.

 

The volume’s dimensions are as unusual as its form: 266 nearly  circular pages of parchment that have been bound together to build a block of 3cm in height with a diameter of 9cm. The pages are lavishly illustrated, including three full-page miniatures and 30 initials depicting scenes from the Old Testament, the life of Jesus and the saints.

 

It’s likely the Codex was made in connection to the court of Burgundy at the end of the 15th century, which was the center of contemporary art and culture. The initials of the metal clasps point us to Adolph of Cleves, Lord of Ravenstein (1425 – 1492) as the owner.

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A New Breath

Posted on September 4, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I continue to be blown away by the magnificent “land art” created by French-Swiss innovator Guillaume Legros (aka Saype). His latest work, “Un Nouveau Souffle” (A New Breath) was completed above the village of Moleson-sur-Gruyeres, Switzerland, not far from Montreux last month.

Saype paints his enormous pieces using a mix of biodegradable pigments made out of charcoal, chalk, water, and whey. Over time they naturally disappear due to rain and snow. ” A New Breath”  whimsically shows a child blowing clouds toward the horizon. If you want to see it IRL, you’ll have to get there soon.

All photos © Valentin Flauraud

 

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“read some books, pay attention”

Posted on September 3, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

“The line in the song ‘feed your head’ is both about reading and psychedelics. I was talking about feeding your head by paying attention: read some books, pay attention.” Grace Slick explains what she meant.

Still good advice after all these years. Check-out the video below from the Airplane’s performance of “White Rabbit” at Woodstock 52 years ago. Seems like yesterday.

 

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Is it possible to love a vending machine

Posted on September 2, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

TBTP has featured all kinds of weird and wacky vending machines over the years, but I think that I’ve found the best ever. Portland, Oregon artist/entrpreneur Taylor Valdes has created a thriving business by stocking 18 repurposed vending machines around the city with original artworks, secondhand books, CDs, toys, crafts, mystery bags, trinkets, jewelry, and assorted gimcrackery. Her wonderful, whimsical machines are found in bars, hotels, restaurants, and boutiques.

Valdes has grown the Venderia business since she placed the first vending machine in her local bar Beulahland in 2013. You can see all about this great Portlandia project in the video below.

 

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Not Applicable To Anyone Here

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

 

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Chortle at some nonce words and neologisms

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Who knew that Dr.Seuss coined the term “nerd” way back in 1950 in his now canceled book If I Ran the Zoo. Well, it seems that Dr. Erica Brozovsky was aware of the origin of the now ubiquitous nonce word. In the very informative and entertaining short video below she examines how many common words joined the English language. I never knew that Richard Dawkins created the term meme.

NB: If the video does not appear, please click on the short link url at the bottom of your email.

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How Cool Is This

Posted on August 30, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

If you have ever visited southern Spain during warm weather months, you are well aware that the sun can be brutal and keeping cool can be a real challenge. Well, the pretty town of Alhaurin de la Torre near Torremolinos has found a beautiful and practical way to beat the heat.

In 2018, the municipal government commissioned a very environmentally friendly solution to their shade problem. The city hired local fiber artist Eva Pacheco to create sunscreens from recycled materials to hang over their streets. Pacheco and a groups of her friends crocheted a set of colorful sunshades for the city center.

Here’s short video of the gorgeous, eco-friendly project:

NB: if you receive TBTP via email and the video does not appear, please click on the short url to bring up a complete post.

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Fairy Tales Warn You

Posted on August 29, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

AMOR FATI

Jane Hirshfield

Little soul,
you have wandered
lost a long time.
The woods all dark now,
birded and eyed.
Then a light, a cabin, a fire, a door standing open.
The fairy tales warn you:
Do not go in,
you who would eat will be eaten.
You go in. You quicken.
You want to have feet.
You want to have eyes.
You want to have fears.
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Might as well just stay home

Posted on August 28, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I really emjoyed this riff on New Yorker covers created by Tokyo-based artist and designer Luis Mendo. If you liked them as much as I do, check-out his other work and consider buying prints or postcards too.

 

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a boundary-line of hate

Posted on August 27, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

“(…) Hate Orgoreyn? No, how should I? How does one hate a country, or love one? Tibe talks about it; I lack the trick of it. I know people, I know towns, farms, hills and rivers and rocks, I know how the sun at sunset in autumn falls on the side of a certain plowland in the hills; but what is the sense of giving a boundary to all that, of giving it a name and ceasing to love where the name ceases to apply? What is love of one’s country; is it hate of one’s uncountry? Then it’s not a good thing. Is it simply self-love? That’s a good thing, but one mustn’t make a virtue of it, or a profession. … Insofar as I love life, I love the hills of the Domain of Estre, but that sort of love does not have a boundary-line of hate. And beyond that, I am ignorant, I hope.”

— Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness (1969)

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